As I approach the pass (now driving with my hazards on at about 25 mph), I start thinking this is insane…what am I thinking?? I took this sport up as a ‘fair weather’ kiter, and this is a scary white-out…

I promised myself when I learned to kiteboard in the water that I was not going to go out in light winds. Unfortunately, in the mountains, there are no exact wind meters and websites to check that will allow you to know what the wind is doing. Maybe there is somekind of wind dance to perform that would bring perfect winds???

I was shocked the first time I pulled the kite into the power zone and it just lifted me and my board so gently, sending me gliding across soft snow. It was surprisingly easy! I would say a hundred times easier than being in the water. The wind was only blowing 10-12mph so it was real mellow and that gave me the confidence to glide a decent way before ungracefully crashing the kite and attempting to switch directions.

OK, here’s my deal: I am 29 years old and have been snowboarding and surfing for about five years. I have been living in Colorado in the winters and the Outer Banks if North Carolina in the summers. I guess its only natural I attempt to get into the kite world. When I first saw kiteboarding I thought ‘whoa! That is f*ing cool!’ I was in Key West and was 21 years old. Almost nine years later (gosh that sounds like a decade!), I finally had the opportunity to try it out.

Since this is a magazine about kiteboarding, you may be asking yourself, “WHAT IS A STAND UP PADLEBOARDING INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDE DOING HERE?” Over the past year, it has become very obvious to us that a great majority of our readers either already have their own stand up paddling equipment, have given it a try, or are interested in getting into this rapidly growing sport.

Why is this move called the Slim Chance? Because that’s your chance of pulling it off – slim! The Slim Chance (also known as a Front Mobe) is an inverted front roll with a backside 360. Master this one and you will be the envy of all others.

Getting into trouble is a part of kiteboarding. Every kiteboarder has either had or will have an OH SH!T moment and how you handle the situation will determine whether you pick yourself back up and continue your session, or find yourself in the back of an ambulance. We have compiled a list of the most common kitemares and how you should react when caught in that situation.

Every kiteboarder has been approached by someone on the beach and asked, “What’s that sport called? How much does it cost? Is it hard?” The first two questions are easy to answer: It’s called kiteboarding and it costs about $2000 to $2500 to get started. Is kiteboarding hard? Well, that depends.